Rosalina's Pregnancy
by Mothralina95
Summary: Rosalina realizes she won't live forever, thus she decides to have a child to keep her Observatory going after her eventual passing. However, she doesn't know how, but finds help in the form of an unexpected partner.
1. Thought

It was a regular day in space as Rosalina was making her rounds throughout the universe. After the regular daily numbers of pick-ups and departures, she and her remaining children lay down to bed. However, as Rosalina attempted to sleep, she was plagued by an unusual thought, but for the time being she set it aside and slept. Unfortunately, she did not sleep for long before the same, tormenting thought clawed its way back into her brain, waking her up. Unable to sleep, she put on a robe, made a cup of tea, and lounged in the Terrace, alone with her thoughts, thinking hard about what was bugging her. Soon after, Polari floated into view, having been awoken by her movement (and the fact that she spilled some hot tea on herself and shouted "cotton-headed ninny muggins!" loudly). Naturally, Polari asked her what was bothering her, though she was reluctant to speak about it.  
>After a long silence, Rosalina opened up about what had been troubling her. She mentioned the day when she started her job of caring for the Lumas, giving them a home until they turn into the planets and comets they are destined to become, and went on about how she'd been doing fine for centuries, but that the cycle is never-ending, and she can't live forever. She the wondered what would happen when she died, or could otherwise no longer do her job, what would become of the Lumas and the Comet Observatory. She stated that ever since she started spending more time on Earth, she could feel herself aging faster (due to the lowered duration spent under the effects of time dilation). She finally revealed her consideration of having a child in order to keep her Lumas safe for at least another generation, and her legacy strong.<br>Polari was shocked by this, mostly because such a topic had never been brought up. He was also saddened to learn that she was not immortal after all, and wondered how she reproduces (Lumas had no knowledge of how humans reproduced among one another). To conclude the conversation, she told the Polari that she may need to start spending more time on Earth, and that the Lumas may see less of her for a while. With that, Polari returned to his chamber, and Rosalina quickly finished her tea and returned to bed, where it seemed that discussing the issue helped her sleep on it.  
>About two weeks later, the time came for her to head to Earth for her regular visits. As she made her way, Rosalina wondered if and where she would begin her search for someone to carry on her genetic line, her legacy, and the burden of caring for a never-ending cycle of adopted children. She then thought about the fact that she never saw other human men around the Mushroom Kingdom; but she decided she would simply cross that bridge when she got to it. When she reached Earth, she landed in her usual area out in the valley, where Petey was often waiting. For the first two days of her week-long visit, she simply engaged in leisure activity and merriment as usual, though there was a change of events for her third day.<br>On the third day of her visit, Rosalina told Petey that she was going to go talk to Princess Peach about "girl things", basically issues he would be unconcerned with. Petey couldn't help but be curious, and asked Rosalina what she meant, though she simply told him not to worry about it. She let him know that she would be back the next day, and departed for Peach's Castle. As expected, Peach was there, and willing to talk (partially because Rosalina was a respected figure, and her consulting Peach for advice reflected well on the Mushroom Kingdom), as her schedule was free for some time.  
>With Peach, Rosalina was very open about her problem, and did not beat around the bush. Peach pondered for a bit, and then asked Rosalina how much she knew about having children. Rosalina admitted she only knew the biologicalanatomical aspects, but knew nothing about what led up to it among people other than simply asking for it. Peach stopped her there, fearing what could occur if a woman such as Rosalina advertised that she wished to "reproduce" with anyone willing. Peach taught Rosalina about family structure in the Mushroom Kingdom, such as not having children for one's own gain, so much as for starting a family. Rosalina mentioned only needing a child, and that a new family would be cumbersome. Peach was not sure how to go on, as she had spent her whole life in the Mushroom Kingdom, and was aware that Rosalina was brought up in a whole-human family; she decided to tell Rosalina that she shouldn't simply have children for her own legacy, and that she should be careful about who she asks to "reproduce" with. She left Rosalina with the knowledge that few human men could be found in the Mushroom Kingdom, but that she might have more luck in Sarasaland (Peach herself had never been there, but she figured if Daisy has cousins, there must be multiple humans in Sarasaland). Rosalina thanked Peach for the news, and left in her Observatory.  
>The next day, she visited Sarasaland to see Princess Daisy, but not without sending a message to Petey apologizing for her absence. She found Daisy's castle and descended near the entrance, surprised to see the door wasn't guarded. After ringing the doorbell, a servant answered and told Rosalina that the Princess was on vacation and would be gone for days. Not satisfied with waiting around doing nothing, Rosalina decided to scout around the regions and see if any human males were to be found withing the kingdom.<br>Unfortunately, human males could not be found in Sarasaland, though Rosalina presumed that humans were possibly spared for royalty, and thus she could not have a child with one. With a mood of despondence, Rosalina once again flew towards the Mushroom Kingdom, and decided she would look around herself. She figured Peach may have been wrong about there being absolutely _no_ human males (besides Waluigi, whom Rosalina considered a friend but unfit for fatherhood).  
>Meanwhile, Petey grew somewhat restless, though Rosalina's absence did allow him to spend some quality time with his buddies King Boo and Wiggler. He began to wonder what would have kept Rosalina gone for so long, as she hadn't even said bye before he saw her depart back towards the stars. Knowing her to be a complex woman, Petey figured there was nothing to gain from making assumptions, though his mind naturally jumped to conclusions. Unfortunately, these conclusions would haunt him until her next visit, and Petey decided that for the time being, he could do nothing more than wait until she came back.<br>Rosalina came back to Earth sooner than she normally would've, though she did not land in her usual area near Petey, but in proximity to Diamond City. She heard there were many humans to be found, and decided it was worth a shot. She searched for possible mates, though none had any desire to start a family. Of course, the advances regarding conception weren't refused, though the immediate mention of family (and the fact that being with her meant adopting hundreds of children) ran them off.  
>Unfortunately, the poor woman did not grow up normally, and thus was unaware of how one would normally start a family. She was oblivious to the notion that individuals were not immediately aware of whether or not they were meant for one another, and the fact that individuals often had to spend years with one another before considering starting a family. As a result, Rosalina returned to the Mushroom Kingdom, desperate for company to help soothe her distress.<br>After some searching, she managed to find Petey, who had been lounging with a group of Wigglers. Happy to have found him, she called for him to fly up to her Comet, which was now stationary. Petey obliged, and once up there, asked what had kept her occupied. She breathed a despondent sigh, and after heading to the Bedroom (the only room with privacy), proceeded to unravel the events she had been engaged in recently. She explained her age dilemma, her conversation with the Princess, and her failed attempts at finding a reproductive mate.  
>Petey knew what human reproduction entailed (he and King Boo have been friends for years, and their conversations have gone everywhere), and while his subconscious was happy that she failed to find a reproductive partner, he was nonetheless sympathetic to her effort. During a hug, he did his best to comfort her, telling her that since she could not 'reproduce' with him, she should feel no guilt about 'reproducing' with anyone else, though it seemed she just wanted some company, as she said nothing in return, but seemed calmed in their embrace. Soon after, Rosalina thanked him for the company at such short notice, and she left to resume her duty with the Lumas. As Petey went back to lounging, a strange, crazy thought went through his head. He realized that, despite being primarily Piranha Plant, he did not reproduce asexually every year as others did (his ability to spit Nipper Plants did not count as legitimate reproduction as they were not born from seeds and did not grow into Piranha Plants), in fact, it seemed as if he could not reproduce at all. He also noted that he had never entirely understood how his body works, other than he lived, absorbed sunlight simply for fluorescence rather than necessity, and ate without the need for excretion, which was always enough for him. He then decided that, after his nap, he would find out how he could, if he could, possibly reproduce, or if he could even help the love of his life with it.<p> 


	2. Preparation

While Rosalina was due to be out in space for at least another month, Petey was eager to determine if he could produce offspring of his own. However, to do this he would need someone with extensive knowledge of physiological effects resulting from genetic alteration. Unfortunately, due to the spread of mushrooms as cures for common injuries and ailments, there were no doctors in the Mushroom Kingdom, or possibly even the entire continent (Wario had been a pharmacist, not a doctor, and Mario was clearly not a real doctor). Thankfully, Petey had a backup plan for contacting someone who can help him.  
>As expected, King Boo was eventually found within a Boo House, ensuring those inside were functioning as planned. Petey figured that King Boo would know people outside their world, due to his status as a spectral, otherworldly being. Upon having found the king, Petey started with casual conversation, as they were still close friends. After an unprecedented hour of shooting the breeze, Petey discussed the issues that had come up with him lately, including the topic of wanting to find out more about his biology. Unfortunately, the ghost did not know any personally, though he was aware of a specific character who could help him. He gave Petey the contact information of a woman known as Brigid Tenenbaum. King Boo told Petey of the woman's work with genetic manipulation on young girls, and assured him that if he wanted to discover everything about how his body worked, she was just the person he was looking for. Petey gave a jubilant thanks, and promptly left, anxious to move on.<br>One of the contact numbers included was a number for a fax machine (which were still surprisingly popular), which Petey knew was an ideal way to contact her (he obviously couldn't talk with her over a phone, and he did not own a computer). Petey did not own his own house, or even a specific area where he lived, though a friend of his at a tech store had a fax machine which was free to use for him. He sent this Tenenbaum woman a request for an examination of genetically unique skin tissue, and that a reward was in store if she complied. After a few days, she responded that she was willing to perform the examination, and that no reward was necessary. She instructed in the response that at a specific time and date, she would be in a warehouse which could be found in a conveniently nearby city. The warehouse was on the corner of the streets Cross and Over, where she had helped others with similar requests.  
>Soon enough, the date came, and Petey made his way to the instructed location. Everything went smoothly as he made his way in, alongside a friendly Koopa Paratroopa to serve as a translator, until Tenenbaum herself laid eyes on Petey and his associate. In his rush, when Petey sent the request to Tenenbaum, he failed to include that he was a large Piranha Plant, or that he would have an oversized, flying turtle with him. Having been shocked at their appearances, she didn't hesitate to draw her gun on them, feeling the need to defend herself against them. Naturally, the Paratroopa cowered into its shell, until Petey put his leaves up and kicked the Paratroopa out of its shell so he could explain that he was the one who faxed her before. It took some time, but things calmed down and they were ready to move on with the examination. Petey pulled off a chunk of one of his leaf-arms (which quickly grew back), and she took it to a place behind closed doors. She came back and instructed him (after getting over the shock of his intelligence and sentience) that the tests and examinations she was going to run would take around an hour, and that he was free to wait there or be back within the estimated time. Petey saw it as nothing more than the perfect time for a nap, though it wasn't long after Petey dozed off until she came back and stated that the leaf fragment was giving very little information on any biological processes, and didn't seem to be any kind of extraordinary genetic anomaly. She said that if it was biological aspects of his own body that he wanted to know about, a full-body scan would be necessary. Petey reluctantly got up, and entered the room where his full-body scan awaited.<br>The examination was relatively painless, though the presumed hour did seem to go on for a while. After intensely studying the results of the exam, Tenenbaum was ready to report her findings to Petey, who couldn't wait to hear them. She listed some basic bodily functions which Petey wasn't interested in, noted his organs being primarily plant-like with traces of animalistic function, but then pointed out a very odd organ. This organ was located around the base of his head, and was a kind of sac that contained seeds. These seeds were not plant seeds, as they did not contain the components necessary for plant birth or growth. Instead, each seed contained a liquid which was somewhat sperm-like in nature, and the cells within acted as something of "genetic wild cards". The cells within the liquid contained unstable, shifting D.N.A. sequences, and were in fact capable of impregnating any identifiably female organism, assuming the liquid within each seed is inserted into the organism by means of standard entry into the appropriate organs.  
>Petey did not know quite what that meant, though Tenenbaum provided images of anatomy regarding reproductive systems, and Petey managed to understand what she had told him, but not without giggling a few times. She concluded with letting him know that the sac was linked to nerves in his neck, and that any blunt force applied to a specific area around his neck will automatically cause him to eject a seed, along with regurgitation. She also warned him that while the while the shifting genetic sequences within each seed are what allowed them to impregnate any female creature, as the D.N.A. simply adjusts to the species it impregnates, this instability may also lead to unpredictable effects in whatever offspring produced, should Petey decide to utilize these seeds. By means of his translator, Petey gladly thanked the woman and bid her goodbye. Overjoyed, though still a little confused, with what he learned, he eagerly made his way back to the part of the Kingdom he was familiar with, and awaited Rosalina's return, with nothing other than a nap).<br>After about a week, Rosalina returned, on schedule, in the same place as always, and in a good mood. She had kept herself busier than usual, partially to bury what had happened the last time she was on the planet. She approached Petey ready for merriment as usual, until Petey stopped her to make an announcement. He started off somewhat hesitantly, but eventually managed to spit out that he learned he was capable of reproduction and could even help her have a child if necessary. After hearing this, she couldn't help but laugh, and told him to stop joking, partially because she was still a little hurt about last time. He asserted several times that he wasn't joking, even informing her that he made contact with a geneticist and underwent multiple physical tests just to see if he could help her where her other efforts failed. With this, her tone changed, and she finally started to believe him. To finally prove his point, Petey punched himself in the neck, ejecting a seed no larger than a golf ball, and telling Rosalina that it, despite all disbelief, could be responsible for their having a child. Understanding the tone of his voice, Rosalina definitively believed him, and in order to diffuse the tension which had grown, asked him how it worked. Hand in hand, they flew up to the Comet Observatory as Petey explained how the seed worked. However, this was only the first of many steps in preparing for parenthood.  
>With full knowledge of how the seeds worked, Petey and Rosalina were completely ready to conceive at any time. Rosalina thought about her past efforts to find a mate, and realized that Petey may perhaps be the optimal mate, as she got along with him better than other Mushroom Kingdom denizens, and that the likelihood of finding a mate willing to suddenly move into space and assist in raising a never-ending cycle of children were zero to none. Nonetheless, Rosalina knew more about parenting than Petey, and despite his clear desire to help, knew she would have to train him on how to be a parent before any children were made. Thankfully, on her latest spatial outing, she picked up plenty of young Lumas who could help Petey learn at least how to be around young children.<br>Petey was initially offended at Rosalina's insistence at parental training, but soon realized that he had never spent any time around children, much less being a part of raising children, while everyone knew Rosalina was one of the best in the Mushroom World. Without further argument, he obliged to Rosalina's instruction. They began with the most rudimentary function, and what Petey would probably be best at, playtime. Petey had spent time with Lumas before, but never for hours on end, which Rosalina was more than accustomed towards. Initial sessions revealed that Petey clearly needed practice, as he became irritable and/or bored after less than an hour of playing with just Lumas. Eventually, Petey managed to work his way into two hours, three hours, and after at least a few weeks, Petey found himself able to play with the baby Lumas all day, which was the closest he could come to playing with toddlers. This exercise alone left him exhausted, but his devotion to helping Rosalina allowed him to muscle through, whereas his own willpower alone may have failed him. Bedtime and feeding were worked through, for months, and proper research prepared Petey for diaper changing and dressing of a human toddler (since Lumas didn't require such services). Soon enough, Rosalina deemed Petey to be just as ready to care for a human child as herself, and said she was ready to accept his seed.


	3. Birth

For the duration of the pregnancy, Petey and Rosalina chose to reside in Diamond City, as there was a hospital providing childbirth services, and they fit in more with some of the odd residents of the city. Not long after "moving in", the required insertion commenced, and Rosalina was later confirmed pregnant. Petey and Rosalina were very happy during the pregnancy, happily finding coins to purchase baby necessities, adding a personal bedroom connected to the Lumas' room, and deciding on a name.  
>Petey was more exhausted than ever, as he kept busy finding coins and doing odd jobs, while assisting Polari with caring for the Lumas, as they both insisted that Rosalina needed to rest during the baby's development. However, the fatigue meant nothing to Petey, as he felt he now had a real purpose in life, whereas before he simply lived for trivial pleasure. His love for Rosalina grew ever stronger, as she took him from his simple, plain life and allowed him to be someone, alongside her. The thoughts of what she had given him and what he had to look forward to kept him energized, and he kept busy with the necessary chores without wearing himself out, though the occasional nap didn't hurt every now and then.<br>Meanwhile, Rosalina was overjoyed with how everything had worked out. Not only would she have a human child of her own, but with the one she decided she would spend her life with. Even as the months went by, she could scarcely believe it, and she was all the more excited for the child to be born, and for her and Petey to become real parents. Though she was happy, an odd sense of foreboding came over her; what if the child and the Lumas didn't get along? What if jealousy between the child and the Lumas drove the family apart? What if she and Petey became overwhelmed and everything fell apart? What if...they only think they're ready, but cannot take care of a human child? As her stomach was well into expansion, she stroked it carefully, feeling movement while she sat alone one night, pondering such thoughts. It was late, Petey and the rest of her children had long since fallen asleep on the Observatory. Soon enough, Rosalina drifted off, where she had a very odd dream.  
>She was walking on clouds, wearing the same dress she had worn as a teenager. She looked around wondering where she was, until she saw none other than her own mother, only she was facing away from her. Rosalina called for her, and her mother responded with a turn of her head and a simple statement.<br>"My daughter, you look vibrant...what you've done, the family you've built, ready to bear your own child...I couldn't be more proud of you..."  
>Rosalina blushed, and expressed her happiness at seeing her mother again with a hug from behind. Although they were the same size, Rosalina felt like a little girl again, and said that despite their having passed away centuries ago, she missed the family every day since. After letting go, Rosalina's mother turned around, and reminded Rosalina that she had been watching her, as she had promised long ago. However, she posed a question for her daughter; she asked what exactly it was about the plant that Rosalina loved.<br>Rosalina hesitated, and was somewhat taken aback by the question, though she could see her mother's concern. She sheepishly admitted that his round body and stubby legs reminded her of a Luma, and that this was cute to her. She also said that despite appearances, he genuinely cared about her, and that a lack of physical intimacy meant nothing when he was someone she could talk to and always seek out for help. Rosalina's mother was silent for a bit, but spoke after about a minute. She said she was happy that her daughter had found love and a family, but that perhaps, there may be a reason why Petey is the only one of his kind, why he didn't know on his own if he was capable of reproduction, why he is the anomaly that he is. A shocked Rosalina asked what she meant by that, though her mother started to fade away into a black smoke, as Rosalina began to cry, calling for her mother while fruitlessly grabbing at the smoke. As this happened, Rosalina awoke, still in her chair, but with tears running down her face. She quickly dried her face, and got ready for the day.  
>For days on end, Rosalina couldn't stop thinking about what her mother was telling her, was impregnation by Petey a bad idea? Was Petey nothing more than a mutated freak who was doomed to spend his life alone? Should a creature that doesn't know if it can reproduce be allowed to make more of its kind? Was Rosalina wrong or naïve to think Petey belonged in a loving family even though he was different? No, she couldn't be right, before having met her, he had friends, he was respected and liked by others (though not many). Rosalina loved her mother, and would never do anything to disrespect her memory, but she knew she had to be wrong about Petey, and that just because he was different, that didn't mean he was undeserving of love, and a family if he wanted one. And he did want one, otherwise he wouldn't have offered to help. No matter what kind of anomaly Petey was, Rosalina knew he was the one for her, and he had given her what no other human had offered, a chance at a biological family of her own. For the time being, Rosalina dismissed the dream as a nightmare, and continued readying herself for raising a human child.<br>Physically speaking, Rosalina's pregnancy had been going well, she felt routine movement in her expanding stomach, though she didn't often seem to experience the hormonal changes or mood swings very often. Nonetheless, as the estimated time for labor arrived, Petey and Rosalina were very ready to house and care for a baby. For not being human, Petey had proven surprisingly aware of how to live with a pregnant woman; he comforted her unquestioningly when asked to, he left her alone whenever she was upset, and often made her laugh during casual downtime. This bode well for the rest of their relationship, and Rosalina never could tell if it was instinct, or if he simply was in fact, the one for her. As Rosalina's stomach reached its peak of expansion, neither Petey or Rosalina could wait for the birth, Rosalina even parked the Observatory close to the Diamond City Hospital, eagerly awaiting the moment she went into labor.  
>Soon enough, the day arrived, Rosalina's water broke, and Petey got her to the hospital to proceed with birthing the child. Thankfully, the hospital had a room open for Rosalina, and she was going through the usual motions of childbirth. She went into labor as any woman would, grunting and tensing as her body attempted to force the baby out. Petey, unfortunately, could not fit into the hospital without breaking anything, so he stayed outside, as Rosalina was wheeled into the hospital. Petey eagerly waited outside, waited for the moment the love of his life would walk outside of the hospital holding the life they had created. He wanted to take a nap, but was too excited to do so. Unfortunately for the giant plant, Rosalina was not in a room with a window, so he could not see her from outside, which only served to fire up his unrest. He found himself pacing, flying in circles, chattering his teeth, and even biting his tongue in anticipation. Who could blame him? What was coming up was the testament to how far he and Rosalina had come from their first awkward encounter, how he had turned from a simple, lazy creature into someone who loved and was loved, how he no longer simply took what was around him, but could now give something to the world. As these thoughts buzzed through his head, he knew Rosalina couldn't walk out of the hospital soon enough.<br>After what seemed like hours, Rosalina could be seen walking out of the hospital, although, Petey noticed something strange. Rosalina was approaching by herself, she wasn't holding anything, nor was she pushing a stroller, she simply walked up to Petey by herself. When she was face-to-face with Petey, he saw her face had been damp, not as if she had been just crying, but as if she had been sobbing, and Petey couldn't imagine why, although an awful thought began to formulate. He asked her what had happened, and after wiping her face, Rosalina began to reveal what had happened, as they both made their way to the Observatory. She said that the baby emerged, but it was not just silent and emaciated, but clearly dead. The doctors had run tests, even tried to bring it back to life, but it was for naught, and several post-mortem examinations gave insight as to what had happened. The baby had not inherited Petey Piranha's D.N.A., but standard Piranha Plant D.N.A., which meant it required sunlight, and the required amount of sunlight during development would have given Rosalina incurable skin cancer. Furthermore, since Rosalina had spent centuries under the effects of time dilation, her body could not adjust to providing nutrients and growth components to a fetus, so while it grew in size, it severely lacked many components necessary for development, and this is why it was emaciated upon its birth. Rosalina began to cry again, and apologized for her flaw in the child's development, only for Petey to apologize for his failed seed, and the two hugged, as they only had each other for comfort in what was thus far their biggest loss. Rosalina stayed on the Observatory, and promptly left for space, but not without letting Petey leave, as they both needed to spend some time alone, both to recompose themselves, and to wonder how they were going to get past what was supposed to be something beautiful.  
>Despite the Lumas' best efforts to comfort her, Rosalina couldn't keep her composure, and retreated to her Bedroom to be alone with her thoughts. She couldn't understand why it had to fall apart the way it had, everything had seemed so perfect, until it crashed. She couldn't help but blame herself, Petey had no control over the circumstances of his birth, and it was his offer that gave her a chance at pregnancy, as her own efforts had failed. She should have known beforehand that she couldn't just jump into starting a family, as even her family with the Lumas had taken years to develop. She should've known that bearing a child herself needed more study, and no successful family was started on a whim. Covering herself in her sheets, she began to sob, as she knew she couldn't simply drop the Lumas to allow her body to adjust to normal human pace, but if she didn't do so, it wouldn't matter how she became pregnant, each baby would die due to her body's own faults. She knew to avoid Petey for some time, as she knew he would be upset, and that he was to be avoided at such times. She knew she would return to Earth, she simply wasn't sure when.<br>Petey sat down in a clearing after having left the Observatory, thinking only about his own failures and shortcomings. He began to think to himself, perhaps he didn't deserve a woman like Rosalina in his life, maybe he was best off spending the rest of his life with creatures such as himself, outcasts and those who didn't belong around humans. Had Rosalina allowed a human to impregnate her, she would've had the baby normally and there would have been no hardship, plain and simple. Furthermore, if he hadn't offered to help her, she would've eventually gotten over the dilemma, and they wouldn't be suffering through what had happened. Nonetheless, amidst his feeling sorry for himself, he began to pity Rosalina, and how his actions had let her down. He cursed his body for denying her the opportunity to be an actual mother, how he had ruined her chance for intimacy with human men for years, how he felt as though he had ruined her hope at starting a family outside of the Lumas. Feeling saddened, frustrated, and downright angry, Petey flew to the top of Tall, Tall Mountain, and in order to vent, let out a planet-shaking roar. He concentrated all of his emotion into it, shaking the ground around him, bursting eardrums and nearly causing an earthquake with its sheer power. It could be heard almost across the kingdom, and the sound waves even broke out into space, with Rosalina hearing them on her way off the planet. The echoes of his furious scream traveled through space, coming across a lone planet.  
>The planet had once supported life, though ever since human intervention years ago, the planet simply eroded, now slowly cracking and collapsing before turning into stardust. The plant's roar shook the planet, and called forth the attention of a strange celestial being. The being heard the cries, and travelled to the planet it shook, seeing its decayed state. It identified the source of the cries, having heard the same voice before. Not long after, it witnessed a shining comet pass by, and could hear the thoughts of a woman on board. Having seen the comet many times, the being recognized the woman on board, it could feel sorrow onboard, and stayed nearby to learn more. It had heard of a creature named Petey Piranha spoken of, and in fact remembered it, as it had traveled in space before. It could sense, and had heard, of the failed attempt between this Petey Piranha and the woman on board the Comet at having children of their own, and felt sympathy for them, even though neither knew of the being. It came up with an idea to help bring them together, as it had heard of the tension that could potentially distance them. It headed back to the dead planet, and accelerated its decay, watched as the planet quickly faded and collapsed into a heap of stardust. The cosmic being imbued this stardust with a unique magic, and sent if off to Earth, ready to help bring a couple back together.<br>Several days passed, Petey calmed down, though he was stuck in another state of unrest, though it wasn't driven by enthusiasm or bliss. He wondered constantly when and if Rosalina would come back to see him, though he already convinced himself that if he never saw her again, he wouldn't, couldn't blame her. After all, had it not been for him, she could have grown to love and start a family with a human, as all other women had, but instead, she took her chances with him, and she lost out because of it. Petey pondered the idea of simply trying again, but couldn't convince himself it was right, he knew what had transpired would be a bitter memory, and trying again would only cause it to resurface. As he sat alone thinking (as he recently began to spend a lot of time by himself), one day, he saw a shine around him, unlike one he had seen before. Glittery powder came down from the sky, and concentrated itself in front of Petey, much to his confusion and amazement. All he could do was stare, as the shiny powder began to coalesce into a familiar shape, star-like, though somewhat chubby. Soon enough, it revealed itself as a newborn Luma, though it was different than any Luma Petey had seen with Rosalina. It was green, but not like the other green ones, noticeably darker in hue. Also, it had dark green spots on its stomach, further adding resemblance to the plant it stood before. Petey couldn't believe it, he had heard Rosalina talk about it before, but never had he actually seen a Luma born from stardust. It simply looked at him for some time, until it squeaked, and then a high-pitched voice came from it.  
>"Papa! Papa!"<br>Petey couldn't believe himself, he simply stood dumbfounded at this strange turn of events, and again acknowledged that if he had tear ducts, he would be crying. Before asking how it knew him or how to find him, he hugged the Luma, tightly squeezing it with affection (although the Luma did ask him to stop before crushing him). Petey named him Pablo, and immediately began to take care of him, which greatly helped him get over the trauma. Thankfully, he knew where Rosalina stashed Star Bits, and used these to feed Pablo until Rosalina came back. Petey realized that she might not come back for a while, but there were plenty of Star Bits stashed, and baby Lumas did not have huge appetites, so he figured everything would be okay. This was a stroke of luck, it was as if Petey's scream had called something to pull him out of the slump he had fallen into, and he eagerly awaited Rosalina's return.  
>Eventually, Rosalina came back, conveniently where her stash of Star Bits was, only to see it was almost empty. Assuming it to be a rude joke by Luigi, she angrily made way to the Kingdom, until Petey saw and stopped her. Surprised at having seen him, she jumped a little, but was glad, as she came specifically to talk to him. She apologized for having left things the way they had, that she should not have abruptly left the planet in spite of what had transpired. She apologized for getting Petey involved in her problem, and that if the issue were to come up again, he should not feel any need to get involved. Petey stopped her there, as he began to tell her about his own turn of events. He quickly introduced Pablo, and asked her if she knew anything about him. Surprised, she said no, and asked where he had come from, as she had never seen a Luma of that size or color before. Petey described to her what had happened, and she could scarcely believe him, but was nonetheless happy at seeing how they had obviously bonded. As she and Petey got close, a voice could be heard, but only to them, offering sympathy for their loss, but that it was not worth their separation. Rosalina recognized the voice, she identified it as none other than the Cosmic Spirit. The Spirit told them that it could feel their sorrow, and offered a child that they could share, so they may join as parents. It knew it did not solve the problem Rosalina was worried about, but that she did not have to worry, as she still had centuries to go before any action was needed.<br>As she watched Petey play with Pablo and the other Lumas, she thought to herself, the Cosmic Spirit was right. Rosalina may have been aging a little faster, but it was nothing compared to how much longer she had to live. Also, if an entity such as the Cosmic Spirit was willing to help when need be, then she likely wouldn't have anything to worry about for the future. All she saw, was that Petey had a child of his own, and while it was not biological, it nonetheless gave him a chance to be a father, alongside her being a mother. While they may not have had an actual child between them, she knew now they would not need one, as they already had a loving family together.  
>Furthermore, if the worst were to happen, Polari knew how to pilot the Observatory, so the Lumas could continue the cycle themselves if needed.<p> 


End file.
